Hull vs Coventry prediction: ENGLAND: Championship betting tips on match 2022-08-26 14:00.
Hull City’s unbeaten start to the Championship season came to a grinding halt last weekend with a 5-2 mauling at West Brom. They might still be in the upper echelons of the table, but the Tigers appear to have some defensive issues as they’ve now kept just one clean sheet in their last eight competitive matches, while twice conceding five goals over the same period.
Shota Arveladze’s side will have to make do without midfielder Ozan Tufan after he picked up a hamstring injury at the Hawthorns, and that will only make fans more nervous over the visit of the Sky Blues, who they have beaten just once in eight home matches since 1963 (D2, L5). They may be buoyed, however, by Coventry City’s recent issues as well as seeing Mark Robins in the opposition dugout, as he has overseen just one victory in his six previous clashes with Hull (D1, L4).
Coventry’s start to the season has been shrouded in controversy surrounding the state of their home pitch. Only tenants at the Coventry Building Society Arena, 65 rugby sevens matches were played on the pitch last month which has made the surface unplayable for football. With the Sky Blues now subsequently seeing all three of their home league games called off, they’ve played at least two games less than any other Championship side and sit bottom of the standings.
That led Robins to admit his side are struggling for rhythm and that was particularly evident at Millwall a fortnight ago, when they conspired to lose 3-2 after being 2-0 up! That fixture at The Den means both teams have scored in all three of Coventry’s games this season, a trend that continues from the 2021/22 campaign, when both teams netted in 57% of Coventry’s league matches, the joint second most in the Championship.
Players to watch: Óscar Estupiñán scored a brace in Hull’s defeat to West Brom last weekend, taking his tally to seven goals in his last nine club appearances. Meanwhile, Coventry defender Jake Bidwell has been yellow carded in three of his last six clashes with Hull, picking up only one win in the process (D3, L2).
Hot streak: The home team has not scored a first-half goal in the last eight meetings between these two sides.